"Anything is one of a million paths . . . the question is . . . does this path have a heart?" -- Carlos Castenada

The Environmental Science major is intended to give students a broad yet firm foundation that can be used as a springboard into graduate/professional school or employment.  With career possibilities  ranging from environmental chemistry to wildlife management to environmental engineering, it is important for students as soon as possible to define their interests in the environment. Depending on a student's specific interests, they can appropriately plan their elective course work and plan to do research and/or internships along the lines of their interests.

Because of this breadth of possibilities, it is important for students to attempt to define their specific interests in the environment early in their undergraduate studies. What is it they hope to do? environmental monitoring? toxicology? engineering? natural resource management? advocacy? law? politics? Do they hope to go directly into employment? or into graduate/professional school? Depending on the students' specific interests, they can appropriately plan their elective course work and plan to do research and/or internships along the lines of their interests.

Internships

Numerous work and research internships involving environmental problems are available on a competitive basis.  Students have interned with a variety of organizations including the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Illinois Dept. of Natural Resource fish hatcheries, the Nature Conservancy's Nachusa Prairie, the Illinois EPA, and the Monmouth wastewater treatment plant.

Potential Careers in Environmental Science

Forestry, Wildlife or Fisheries Management, Conservation Biology, Environmental Compliance and Regulation, Environmental Advocacy, Environmental Education, Air or Water Quality Management, Waste Management, Parks and Outdoor Recreation, Ecological Restoration